First-Rounder Leblanc Leads Two Harvard NHL Draft Picks

Jun 29, 2009

MONTREAL-Louis Leblanc became the second
Harvard player to be selected in the first round of the National
Hockey League Entry Draft when he was taken by his hometown
Montreal Canadiens Friday night at Bell Centre. Fellow Crimson
incoming freshman Alexander Fallstrom was picked by the Minnesota
Wild in Saturday's fourth round.

Leblanc, a native of Kirkland, Que., a Montreal suburb, was
chosen with the 18th overall pick to loud cheers from his hometown
crowd. The forward joins the Crimson after spending one season with
the Omaha Lancers and being selected as Rookie of the Year of the
United States Hockey League.

Harvard's only previous first-round pick was Chris Biotti '89.
He was the 17th overall pick in 1985, chosen by the Calgary Flames.
Leblanc is the seventh first-round pick in ECAC Hockey history. He
was the second college-affiliated player selected in this year's
draft, behind only Minnesota freshman Nick Leddy, who was drafted
by the Wild.

Fallstrom, also a forward, was the 116th pick of the draft. The
Gothenburg, Sweden native joins Harvard after captaining the team
at Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, Minn., last season. He
was the 78th NHL Draft pick in program history, the most of any
ECAC Hockey team.

Leblanc and Fallstrom were among 12 ECAC players and three Ivy
League players taken in the 2009 Draft. Colgate, Rensselaer and
Yale matched Harvard with two selections each.

The 2009-10 Harvard roster will include six drafted players:
Fallstrom, Leblanc, senior captain Alex Biega, senior Doug Rogers,
junior Matt McCollem and sophomore Alex Killorn. Rogers, Biega and
McCollem were taken in 2006 by the Buffalo Sabres, New York
Islanders and St. Louis Blues, respectively. Killorn was a
third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2007.

Crimson players have been selected in 13 of the last 14 and 26
of the last 28 NHL Drafts.